By Chris Snellgrove | Published
I Stranger Things The series finale left fans very divided, with many looking for an episode that would bring a better final battle and more answers to our burning questions. However, some fans are convinced that we haven’t seen the last episode yet…that we’ll get the secret ninth episode of Season 5 that drops today (January 7). These followers are part of the Conformity Gate conspiracy, and have managed to set themselves up for something even more embarrassing Stranger Things series finale.
What is Consensus Gate?
So, what the heck is “Conformity Gate,” and how does it interact with it Stranger Things suddenly giving us a bonus episode? The short answer is that some fans think that the last episode of the show was too much fun and that what we saw in that extended episode was, in fact, a mind trick created by Vecna, who is very much alive. Believers of this conspiracy theory say that all this will become clear with the release of the ninth episode that works as the truth. Stranger Things Finally, it should drop on Netflix on January 7, 2026.
As you can imagine, the “evidence” for this theory is all circumstantial, although some of it is interesting. For example, many Conformity Gate believers point out Stranger Things the final graduation scene and how several actors hold hands in a unique way that Henry Creel did. Additionally, several Wheelers (including Karen, Mike, and Nancy) now have short hair that looks similar to Creel’s ‘do.
What Dreams May Come
That same graduation scene shows some circumstantial evidence, like someone holding up a blank yellow poster that you might expect to have, say, a student’s name on it. This could be a lazy production value, but it could also be evidence that the characters are in a dreamlike state where things don’t make complete sense. Interestingly, this also applies to something many fans have never noticed: the radio dial indicator.
An odd example is that the radio dial indicator on the WSQK transmission tower is gray for Episode 1 and red for Episode 5; since Max and Holly escaped from Vecna in his dreamscape by seeing a changed color during the excitement, some fans think that the changing color of the pointer is a sign that at least some of what we think is real is a mental illusion on the part of Vecna. Speaking of Vecna, others Stranger Things fans think that the real reason that Dustin’s girlfriend, Suzie, and Robin’s girlfriend, Vickie, are not in the title is that Vecna did not know who they are and therefore did not include them in this idea.
Is Vecna Hiding in Easy Place?
For some Conformity Gate believers, the overwhelming evidence comes from two innocuous background details: first, look closely at the last. Stranger Things scene, and you’ll notice several boxes of the WHATZIT board game. When Henry Creel lured children into his evil plan, he went by the name “Mr. Whatsit.” Therefore, many in the fandom think that these games (seriously, why are there so many board games of the same kind?) are an indication that the whole happy ending is a hoax of Vecna that tricks our heroes into a false sense of security.
Speaking of games, the second main site that Conformity Gate believers point to is Mike’s D&D books… they’re all carefully edited, and some make sure to put the phrase “X is a lie.” The theory goes that this means what we saw in Dimension X was a lie, which would explain why the final battle against the cosmic god and his super-powered flunkie ended in just a few minutes. It could also suggest that the last real battle is coming, maybe a new one Stranger Things episode airs January 7.
A Date That Will Live In Fandom Infamy
Why the focus on January 7? Earlier, Netflix mysteriously posted “Your future is on the road” and marked it on that day. For believers, this is an indication that we will get the true end of the series that day. As an added bonus, January 7th is Orthodox Christmas Day, which means this final episode will air on a major holiday, just like the previous episode.
As much as I love a good conspiracy theory, Conformity Gate is pretty…like, why would Netflix, after spending almost half a billion dollars to make Season 5, deliberately disappoint fans with a fake series finale and then try to redeem themselves with a new episode with absolutely no marketing? This would be the quickest way for a broadcaster to ruin their biggest IP, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for episode 9 coming out today (or, you know… ever).
The Greatest Cope In Fandom
It seems clear that this whole conspiracy theory is just an overreaction to disappointment, giving fans a way to deal with a finale that didn’t quite live up to their expectations. Netflix wants to keep Stranger Things it lives for future spinoffs, and the powers that be know exactly how such a fraud can destroy everything the Duffers have built. They may be willing to blow the Upside Down, but they will never intentionally destroy their big cash cow!
Sadly, the brothers are in charge of the plot in the first place…if you go out of your way to leave so much (from Vecna’s inspiration to Eleven’s death) up to explanation, you can’t be surprised when millions of fans rave about theories and conspiracies. When Conformity Gate turns out to be the biggest hoax of the year (so far, at least), it will also change this last episode. Stranger Things to one of the most divisive endings in television history.
